Catholic Picture Books for Your School Year [book list]

During this time of year, book lists are a great resource to gather the best stories to inspire your children! Before you keep reading, make sure you are also signed up for this “back to school” Novena (kicks off next week)!

Here are some of our favorites Catholic children’s books (both old and new) to fill your shelves:

Sacred Art for Catholic Kids (3-book set)

Looking for ways to incorporate art into your child’s education this fall? This 3-book set is a perfect way to incorporate art into your child’s library in an approachable way!

I Believe: The Apostles’ Creed in Sacred Art, Praying to Holy Angels: Angel of God and St. Michael the Archangel Prayers in Sacred Art, and Let’s Look at a Masterpiece all present children with stunning sacred art alongside their Catholic heritage!

Catholic families LOVE all these books and you will be amazed how much your kids will pick up as they page through these stunning picture books.

Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven

If you have kids ages 9-13, you need to give them this book!

Get this book–and dive into the amazing life of a teenage boy who died in 2006–and has already begun to intercede with miracles from Heaven!

You’ll follow along, step-by-step, the methodical process the Catholic Church follows to determine who is in Heaven, and the miracles which revealed that Carlo was already there. 

Extensively researched and incorporating details from official Church documents and personal interviews with Blessed Carlo’s mother, you’ll learn:

• What miracles astounded him so much that he created a website to share them with the world?
• What simple habits did he incorporate into his life, plus the weaknesses he struggled with?
• What did he call his “kit” for becoming a saint, which fits the lives of modern children and teens?
• What was the miracle–7 years to the day of his death–which led to the beatification?
• What still remains before the Church can recognize him as “Saint Carlo Acutis”?

More and more parishes are getting this book for students to read prior to picking a Confirmation saint! The information about HOW the Catholic Church recognizes saints is so important for kids to understand prior to picking a saint of their own.

Picture Bible

This is the first Bible that every child in our house has read from cover-to-cover!

Unlike traditional Bibles that often segregate stories, the  Picture Bible seamlessly weaves together 233 Bible stories into narratives, creating a continuous and engaging reading experience.

Now updated with interesting new features, including “Did you know?” fact pages, time line, story listing, maps, and more, kids will love the great stories and action pictures of the newly revised Picture Bible.

Looking for a Bible you can READ ALOUD to your kids? Check this out!

Brides of Christ

If you have a GIRL, you need to add this NEW picture book to your collection!

With charming rhyming verses, children can see a glimpse of the everyday life of the Benedictine sisters. Their lives are filled with joy, work, praise — and fun! Experience the excitement of entering the unknown mystery and beginning a new life inside the hallowed walls of the convent.

You will experience the Sisters’ excitement about first receiving their habits, their delight in caring for the elderly Sisters (with wheelchair races!), and their joy in tending the frisky farm animals!

You will marvel at the wonder of postulants as they seek God’s will and at the enthusiasm of novices as they journey toward their final profession as Brides of Christ.

Psst–if you’re looking for additional vocational awareness resources, check out this picture book too!

Oremus: Latin Prayers for Young Catholics

If you are looking to expose your children to Latin this year, this is the book for you!

Latin for “let us pray,” Oremus goes through the prayers from the Mass and other beloved Catholic prayers in both English and Latin! Each prayer is accompanied by master copies of some of the Church’s most beautiful artwork–a beautiful addition to our Sacred Art for Children collection. 

This stunning compendium is an invaluable resource for young Catholics to use both at Mass and at home! A gorgeous addition to every Catholic family’s bookshelf!

Psst-looking for additional resources for the Latin Mass? Here is a blog post filled with unique resources HERE.

Lucy and Patrick Pray the Rosary

A picture book that shows normal Catholic family life–something sorely missing in most picture books!

The family Rosary is always an…interesting time. Join Lucy and Patrick, five-year-old twins, as their family prays the Rosary at the end of a long day–with a very tired Mom and Dad. Every child will delight in “reading” this unique story book, revealing all that happens to this typical Catholic family–through nothing but pictures!

This book is not heavy-handed in trying to teach children something about their faith–rather, it simply presents the normal life of a Catholic family. Catholic children will be able to “see” themselves and their families through this picture book!

Very Young Catholics Series

We are so excited to bring the Very Young Catholic Project under the Holy Heroes’ mission to bring the joy of the faith to your family!

This series presents a vivid picture of the universal Church through the eyes of children from all over the world! Everyday events in the life of a Catholic family, such as meals, sports, and family outings, are interwoven with Catholic culture, traditions, and doctrine.

These books can be used with kids ages 6-11 years old as:

• read alouds, 
• geography resources,
• religion class supplements, 
• or just a beautiful book for kids to page through!

Beautifully photographed, these books present a rich picture of the everyday life of very young Catholics around the world!

Pssst–looking for ways to incorporate this series into your curriculum? Here are some tips!

The Weight of the Mass Trilogy

On nearly every Catholic children’s book list, you will find references to the beautiful picture books by Josephine Nobisso.

But while many Catholic mothers know the Catholic classic The Weight of the Mass and Take it to the Queen, the quiet release of the third installment in the trilogy was missed by many. These three books focus on the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. The stories are rich with beautiful imagery in both words and pictures.

In addition, our editions include detailed notes inside the dust jackets that will help you discover even more hidden meanings in the stories and pictures! Perfect for discussions about the deeper theological meanings and symbolism of this story!

A few more resources for your Catholic library:

Find our book list from LAST YEAR on this blog.

If you plan on reading The King of the Golden City with your children, be sure to download our discussion guide.

You can also get the “boy version” of The King of the Golden City here.

If you plan on reading My Path to Heaven with your children, you can join this FREE program for accompanying videos, discussion questions, quizzes, and more.

Looking for Catholic board books? Find our blog post with award-winning board books HERE.